My sister, my friend.

People say that you learn everything you need to know in Kindergarten- I disagree. Everything I need to know I learned from my sister. She taught me confidence and compassion. She taught me to keep my temper. She taught me what it feels like to be so proud of another person you think your heart is just going to burst.

We’ve always been this way though. It drives our parents crazy. When we were younger, we ignored the other kids on the block, at holidays we would hide together in the bathroom. We had a code that no matter what, we would never rat each other out to Mom. She came to me with bumped heads, grazed knees, when the other girls made fun of her. I helped her with her homework, and made sure her socks were on the right feet. We would fight, and then make up and giggle all through the night.

As we got older, we began to find our own identities, especially at separate high schools. When I got my car, I dropped her off at school every morning and picked her up after, I took her out with my friends at night. I was there for her first beer and her first break up. I left for college and thought things would change, they didn’t. She followed me up here- wouldn’t even apply anywhere else- and in the past two years we’ve grown even closer. She can make me smile like no one else and laugh when all I want to do is cry. She loves me at my worst, my meanest. She picks on me- for my own good of course, and holds my hand when I’m scared. I cook for her, give her money when she comes up short, take care of her when she’s sick.

I’m constantly taking care of my little sister, and I don’t know how I’ll get by without her.